pajama interview

and here is a somewhat embarrassing little video of tashi interviewing me in cyprus. we're in our pajamas and greek tv is blaring the background. do i really look like that? i forgot to put on my camera make up.

(man it takes a long time for blogger to upload videos)

drums & dancing in cyprus

i took several little flip videos while in cyprus. i'm slowly beginning to upload them here and there. this is a tiny little video of tashi dancing when we came upon a drum circle near our hotel in nicosia. i wished i could plop down with my djembe and join them.

Approaching Departure

It’s hard to believe that we only have two days left in Cyprus. It’s never easy to leave, and just when I start to feel at home, the day of departure arrives. Whenever I visit Cyprus I find myself wondering if it is part of my life’s path to return for good. But what might be my path is not necessarily Dan’s or Tashi’s. Is it merely romantic to think I could find my muse in a villa by the sea? That the missing link in my creative struggles is in the land where I was born? Or is it just an excuse? Would the landscape of my writing change in a landscape of olive trees and blossoming almond? Would the sound of the sea affect the cadence of my work? Is it possible to find inner peace in a bitterly divided country? Or is the challenge of fusion under disparate conditions the challenge that will fuel my passion?



Alas, it will all be packed away in my little blue heart as we return to Virginia and our little blue house. But I am eager to see my Love and our friendly cats.



Nicosia is always a bittersweet city to be in. I am in awe of the hearty venetian wall that stands tall and strong and contains a remarkable old city with buildings both decrepit and transformed. There are dozens of galleries full of exciting art and countless cafes bustling with people having animated conversations. Yesterday I visited the Moufflon bookstore where the books are piled in the aisles and the workers get excited when you ask them for guidance. It is a place that smells like books, where you wipe the dust off of old tomes and find fresh perspectives.





In Nicosia there have been a few wrong turns into bad restaurants or dead end roads. There is the barbed and barreled green line where you can peer into streets that have sat frozen in time since 1974.



There is the depressing presence of McDonalds, TGI Fridays, KFC, Papa John’s. There is so much noise, dust, traffic and litter. But I just have to be reminded of the nearby Troodos Range where wild flowers are beginning to blossom and herds of goats are moving about with the jangle of copper bells.





Or I just have to walk into the municipal market, rich with bright produce, jars of syrupy sweets, hand woven baskets and fresh loaves of crusty village bread.





Or I have to walk down the narrow winding streets of the old city and look up at verdant rooftop gardens to find beauty that brings a sense of inner peace. Or I just have to walk into a lofty gallery with high ceilings and art that captures a certain light, a certain sadness, a certain bit of old world that can still be found if you seek it out. Or perhaps, I just have to walk into my uncle’s house and gaze at his thick oil paintings of a quiet world.





And if there is nothing else, there is always the azure Mediterranean sky.



Last but not least, there is the one true wish.

City Life Cyprus

Well here we are in Nicosia. I awoke to a cacophony of drills, cars, people yelling and church bells sounding, after about five hours of sleep. Time for a fantastic breakfast buffet with cappuccino!

I last posted on our day of leisure in Larnaca. After my internet time we drove westward on the coast road, passing through villages, and stopping at the first taverna with cars in the parking lot and a mouth watering smell emanating from the building. It was in a fairly industrial little port town called Zygi, and the meal was outstanding. My mother had fresh Calamari, I had grilled Sea Bream and Tashi had grilled Octopus. That she will joyfully eat tentacles with suckers still attached amazes me, but she loves the taste and I must admit, Cyprus Octopus is delicious. It is soft, smoky, and, well. . . meaty.



We also had the amazing village salad that comes with each meal, this one with lettuce, cabbage, celery greens, parsley, tomatoes, onions, cucumber and feta, all deliciously soaked with olive oil and lemon. After our leisurely lunch looking out to sea we drove to Governor’s Beach, a sandy stretch set against some dramatic sandstone bluffs. Tashi had a grand time building a fort in the sand, while YiaYia knitted in the café above the beach and I snapped photos and a few little Flip videos. I watched the light change against the bluffs as the sun set, and then it was time to head back to our little flat for the night.



On Wednesday we arose early and headed to the Turkish occupied North once again. My mother owns land around Kyrenia, and wanted to see if it had been illegally developed. We lived in Kyrenia up until we came to the U.S., when I was almost four. My earliest memories of Cyprus are set in Kyrenia, an idyllic little harbor town with a castle, a sandy beach, fish tavernas and woodsy ravines, all set against the dramatic Pentadaktylos Range.



The first big change I noticed was on the Nicosia side of the range, all along the mountains had been blasted for mining. And then as we entered Kyrenia we were engulfed by bad architecture and over development. What was once a peaceful, quaint and extremely picturesque harbor town, is now a city. Thankfully the harbor is still very pretty, and the old town on its fringes is somewhat preserved, but the damaging growth that fans out from it all will never be undone. Suffice it to say we could not find my mother’s properties; what was once on a hillside covered in olive and carob trees and wildflowers, is now hidden within the blight of suburbia. Regardless, we drove up to Bellapais, a beautiful little village that has retained most of its character. We walked the little cobbled village streets, peered into gardens, and the drank a Turkish coffee by the gothic remains of Bellapais Abbey.



On Thursday we packed up our bags in preparation for our move to Nicosia the following day. I took Tashi to the local beach to say goodbye to the tribe of cats, and to feed them some leftover scraps of chicken. She was particularly sad about saying goodbye to a peaceful, sweet, beautiful cat we had named Shanti. If only we cold bring them all home! The cats of Oroklini are well taken care of by an English woman who comes down from her home in Pyla to feed them regularly. She mentioned to us that the Cypriot government is now paying to have stray cats neutered and spayed, so she has taken many to the vet recently.



That afternoon we took a drive through the villages of the Kolokasi Region. Kolokasi is a root vegetable similar to Taro which is grown in the fertile red earth of south east Cyprus. It was an enjoyable drive, some villages more interesting than others. We stopped off at the Saddle Club of the British army base (Dekelia) to say hello to the horses, ponies and donkeys. We also stopped in the village of Paralimni that had three St. George churches in a row: New, Old and Oldest. Tashi and I shared a delicious Nutella and fresh Strawberries crepe. We caught an awesome sunset and finished off our time in the region with an amazing Greek Mezze dinner at Mantra (prounounced mandra) in upper Oroklini. A Mandra is an old farmhouse/sheep corral. This one had been restored and turned into a big, beautiful restaurant with a great deal of character and excellent food.



Yesterday we arrived in Nicosia, the capital city of Cyprus and where I was born. I have three uncles and a cousin here, a very good childhood friend, and a network of extended family. My aunt Tina who lives in Athens is also in town for a visit. We spent a brief spell in the Turkish occupied part of Nicosia. There is a checkpoint for people who want to walk through. Tashi and I both felt ill at ease there however, and we were a bit lost looking for what is apparently an amazing Cathedral of Saint Sophia, so we returned to the comforts of the Cypriot side. Happily we met family for a delicious traditional lunch. And from there on out it has mostly been about huge quantities of food and good times with family. Earlier this morning we visited the graves of my Papou and YiaYia, and of my dear cousin Louiza who died in an airplane crash. We also went with my uncle Lonia to see his beautiful old farmhouse in a village called Pera (which means “beyond”). This house was astonishing! Afterwards, we lingered for a few hours over more great food at a Taverna.



And that leads me to the here and now, sitting in the Classic Hotel, a great place to be.

we crossed the green line

i have just uploaded one million pictures on flickr, and my head is about to explode from multi tasking on the internet while breathing in the awful smoke of a disgusting cigar in this cafe. so, i'm afraid there will not be much of a written summary today. but do visit my photos for the visual piece!

yesterday we made the very exciting journey into the north side of cyprus, turkish occupied territory. i had very mixed feelings about doing this. i was concerned about wiping away my pre-1974 idyllic memories of the north side, and i was also simply afraid, as i am both an american and a greek cypriot citizen. but there was nothing to fear. as for memories, those are mostly of my early childhood hometown of kyrenia, which we are going to visit on wednesday.

it was actually wonderful to see some of the incredible sites that we saw yesterday: old famagusta, kantara castle and ancient salamis. also, despite the blight, which is happening on both sides of the island, there were some breathtaking views and gorgeous meadows carpeted in wildflowers.

mostly i felt a lot of sadness, especially sitting in famagusta and looking into the friendly/happy/sad/grumpy faces of the turkish people there. i will never understand why humans, who all have brains and hearts, can't get over their ridiculous differences and just respect each other, human to human. it is the ordinary people who are caught in the middle of this fierce governmental dispute about who the land belongs to. it is the ordinary people, on both sides of the line, who suffer most from this division.

today is a leisure day, though we may yet manage to go to the donkey sanctuary. we plan to lounge on the beach too.

Monasteries, Mosques and Stray Cats, Oh My!

A summary of our two full days in Aphrodite country thus far.

The flat where we are residing is in an area called Oroklini, just a short drive from Larnaca. It is a tourist strip comprised of all that is disturbing about tourist strips, and reminds me of a combination of Virginia beach and some unknown outskirt of Delhi, India. Yet I am somehow able to find charm in the Bingo Hall, Bowling Alley, fake Irish pubs, and weird glitzy beach culture restaurants, and am grateful for the few Cypriot grocery stores that sell delicious fresh yogurt in clay pots, or breads stuffed with olives and Halloumi. The somewhat decrepit nature of the place (despite its newness) is made even more spooky by the fact that is fairly deserted right now in the off season. Thankfully, our flat is a few blocks behind the main drag and is incredibly quiet.


i'm glad we are not staying here!

On Friday we took a walk on our littered local beach which is lined with a mix of luxury and crumbling hotels. Despite the plastic bags and tin cans in the sand, the water is crystal clear. Tashi was beside herself with joy, collecting small shells and rocks that looked like they may have once been a part of some ancient temple. After our brief spell on the beach, we met a clan of stray cats and then waited for the bus that never came. We took a taxi instead to the airport to pick up our rental car, and I kissed goodbye my first 15 Euros.



We immediately drove our brand new compact Kia to the Hala Sultan Tekke Mosque on the salt lake, across from the airport. That was pretty cool. The mosque was built on the spot where Mohammad's aunt, Um Haram, had reputedly fell from a mule and broke her neck. She was buried on the spot. Her sarcophagus is now housed inside the mosque. I am really glad the Cypriots have chosen to preserve this special place. On the way out we saw a praying mantis who was paying his respects. We also saw some flamingos, if only through the car window while passing by the salt lake.





After that we spent some time in Larnaca. Larnaca has the likes of KFC, McDonalds, TGI Fridays and Starbucks (where I sit now) on its beachside promenade, but its Cypriot-European mixy-matchy charm shines through the back streets and old city. We spent some time at the Church of Saint Lazarus, built on the site where he was buried. They even have a piece of his skull under glass to prove it.



Yesterday I arose early and took a power walk along our local beach. I enjoyed the splish of the waves as they came to shore, the stray cats and the colorful stones below my feet. Midday we drove to Nicosia to visit my uncle Lonia and his wife, Hara. Hara is taking great care of Lonia, and he is responding well the Chemo. He was in good humor and was relatively energetic. He took us to a Chinese Restaurant he loves. It was a clean, hip, modern place, and a novelty to eat Chinese food in Cyprus. Cyprus has become very international since it has become a member of the EU.

Here is Lonia, looking quite the gentleman. And a few of his paintings.











Today we plan to have Kleftiko (Lamb slow cooked in the clay oven) in town, and then drive part way up the mountains in search of the Donkey Sanctuary. We’re also going to check out an old archeological site, Choirokitia. After that we hope to drop down to one of the prettier beaches that remain, and perhaps catch the sunset.

And so, that is it for now! More pictures on flickr of course!

we are in larnaca, cyprus

we are here. it is spring. internet costs money. so this is going to be short and sweet. i am trying to update my flickr as i write. please check back there for visual updates, as i might not be posting to the blog all that often.

today we picked up our rental car. visited a mosque and a salt lake. ate souvlaki. and walked around larnaca. it is lovely, sunny, temperate, and the flowers are in bloom.

we are even mostly caught up to the jet lag, after the nearly 48 hour journey here.

ok, back to flickr. more soon. i hope!

topsy turvy

tomorrow, we depart for cyprus. from dc to detroit to amsterdam to cyprus. it's gonna be grueling. we'll be landing in amsterdam at about 7:30am, though our body clocks will think it 1:30am. ok, i've stayed out that late, no big deal. but tashi might feel a little differently about it. in amsterdam, we have a seven hour stop over. while it might be tempting to take a quick train into the city, i have a feeling we'll be finding some nice cozy benches in schiphol airport for a snooze or two. we'll arrive in cyprus around 8pm thursday night.

we are going to stay a few days in larnaca, a seaside town that was once a sleepy village. it has grown exponentially since the turkish occupation began, as have most sleepy seaside villages in cyprus. but still, it will be a good place to catch up on our sleep, stare at the sea and prepare ourselves for nicosia, the capitol city, where we will spend the majority of our stay.

i don't think i will have connectivity at the flat we'll be staying at in larnaca, and the cyber cafe will not be the main attraction of the day. i hope to get connected in nicosia. stay tuned; hopefully there will at least some flickr updates.

goin' to cyprus!

yes, it's true! thanks to my mom, tashi and i will be joining her on a trip to cyprus for two-and-a-half weeks in late february. while i am beside myself with excitement, it is a bittersweet journey. my mother's eldest brother has been diagnosed with late-stage cancer, and so he is the main reason we are making this trip.

the three of us went to cyprus for a month in the summer of 2006. this is a much shorter trip, and we will be in nicosia, the capital city, for most of it. i'm looking forward to seeing family and walking the streets of the old city. and i am looking forward to eating souvlaki and cypriot salads at least every other day!

here are a few photos from our last trip. these are film photos that i've taken a digital picture of, so the quality is quite bad. first of all, the camera i took with me at the time was broken. secondly, the pictures in their original state are not as blurry as they appear here. i look forward to making use of my digital camera this time, and my little flip video camera.


most likely a shepherds hut, with a few stray appliances


boat named makarios


potter


ruins ruins everywhere ruins (and byzantine churches)


tashi reading in dappled light



whitewash and window


tashi and yiayia swimming in the crystal waters of akamas

how many cypriots does it take to unlock a car?

apparently at least eight.

but this isn't an ordinary unlocking. it is the kind that takes place when a stupido tourist like myself locks her keys in the rental car.

this is how i started off my day.

first i went to the bakery, where i picked up olive bread, halloumi bread, a fat ham and cheese pastry, and another crispy pastry stuffed with a sweet cheese and sprinkled with powdered sugar. then i went to the grocery store where i picked up milk, bacon, frozen halloumi stuffed ravioli, juice and a cheap beach towel with dolphins on it. i returned to a locked car, keys in the ignition. so i walked back to our flat, which wasn't all that far. and then i walked with my mom back to the car because she speaks greek. she talked to the grocer who talked to his friend who drove off to get the mechanic. the mechanic arrived and wedged the window slightly open with strange expandable device, and stuck in various wires, first trying to press the unlock button, and then trying to pull the keys from the ignition, and then simply pulling the lock up with success. several villagers and ourselves looked on with suspense while he performed his operation. twenty pounds and two hours later we were able to get into our car and drive.

shit.

i was in a pretty fowl mood after that. it was a sort of climax to all the bad communication that has been going on between my mom, my aunt, and yes, myself. i'm tired of being told where to park, and how to back up, and what to eat and how to eat it. i'm tired of the fact that one person wants to take this path to the beach while the other wants to take the other. life is tough isn't it? ok, that's the end of my vent for now.

last night two of my cypriot-born-now-american cousins and their wives arrived from the states. the last time i saw them i was basically tashi's age. that would be 31 years ago. so we had a big family dinner at a great fish restaurant on the latchi harbor. it was a good old fashioned fish mezze. one plate after another of mussels, calamari, octopus, snapper, swordfish, awesome village salads, bread sprinkled with olive oil and herbs, taziki, taramosalata, and tahini.

today we all went to another beach on akamas, a protected cape of northwestern cyprus where there is a famous spring where, it is said, aphrodite used to bathe. again, the water was a crystal clear display of blue of hues. tashi swam around with her new mask and snorkel, pointing out a number of colorful fish, shells containing crabs and spiny sea urchins. cozy coves flank the bluffs. rocky outcroppings rise up from the sea.

yesterday we visited paphos for the second time. paphos has some awesome ancient ruins and mosaics against a backdrop of every cheesy tourist trap you can imagine. the other night a cypriot musical group performed a tribute to abba. the abba cult lives, even in cyprus. there are tons of shops selling cheap souviners made in china and india. one pub after another. pink pelicans. overpriced food. glass bottomed boats. crowds of tourists looking like cooked lobsters for lack of sunscreen.

i couldn't spend as much time as i would have liked to at the mosaics, as tashi was tired and hot. but a glimpse of the amazingly well preserved depictions of gods and goddesses was better than no glimpse at all. afterwards i took tashi to the paphos aquarium where we saw lots of fish, shrimp, eels, crabs, turtles, sting rays and a couple of alligators fresh from the mississippi. this was a nice compliment to the snake museum we visited the other day, where we saw about six native cypriot snakes, several lizards, spiders, a scorpion and some more turtles.

the other night there was a "pannayiri", a street fair that usually takes place in celebration of saint's day. it was very similar the "mela" i experienced in india. there were booths selling traditional foods, sweet honey balls called lukomathes, piles of pulses, nuts, candies, jujuko (long strings of walnuts encased in a sweet sugar taffy), air dried meats, sausages. some booths sold household items: beach towels with weird depictions of spider man, cinderella, sea creatures and race cars. kitchen ware. bedding. there were booths of pirated cd's and dvd's. and lots of booths selling very junky toys. there were carnival games where you could win caged birds, goldfish, three foot high victorian dolls. and more booths selling junky jewelery and hairbands. it was fascinating the way a carnival is.

so while emotionally i'm feeling a little fragile from the weirdness that is emitting from my mother and her sister, i'm having a great time with my daughter.

unfotunately another war has erupted in the country next door and i'm feeling pretty sick over that. having been completely ignorant of news for a few weeks now (aside from who was winning in the world cup games), the only physical impact that is felt here is that the airports are busier because flights to beruit have been diverted to cyprus.

so i'll end this with a wish for peace.